"Section 7-5-115.
(A) A person may not vote in a
partisan primary election or partisan advisory referendum unless
he has registered as a member of that party or the party elects
to allow all voters not registered with another party to
participate in a partisan primary election for the selection of
its party nominee. A voter registered as a member of a
political party may not vote in the partisan primary election of
a party with which they are not registered.
(B) The State Election
Commission shall assist the county entities charged by law with
registering electors with capturing the data and maintaining a
list of all electors registered by party affiliation. To
expedite the registration of electors, the county entities shall
allow electors to register by party, if they wish, at all
partisan primary elections conducted before June 2014.
(C) After the first
primary is conducted under the provisions of this section, the
entity charged by law with registering qualified electors shall
contact the qualified electors of that county, by whatever
method it determines to be appropriate, informing them of
partisan primary voting procedures as provided in this
section."

SECTION ____. Section
7-5-170 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 265 of 2012, is
further amended to read:

"Section 7-5-170.
(1) Written application required.--A
person may not be registered to vote except upon written
application or electronic application pursuant to Section
7-5-185, which shall becomethat becomes
a part of the permanent records of the board to which it is
presented and which must be open to public inspection. However,
the social security number contained in the application must not
be open to public inspection.
(2) Form of
application.--The application must be on a form prescribed and
provided by the executive director and shallmust contain the following information: name, sex, race,
social security number, date of birth, residence address,
mailing address, telephone number of the applicant, political
party affiliation, if any, and location of prior voter
registration. The applicant mustshall
affirm that he is not under a court order declaring him mentally
incompetent, confined in anya public
prison, has never been convicted of a felony or offense against
the election laws, or if previously convicted,that he has served his entire sentence,
including probation and parole time, or has received a pardon
for the conviction. Additionally, the applicant
mustshall take the following oath:
"I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am a citizen of
the United States and that on the date of the next ensuing
election, I will have attained the age of eighteen years and am
a resident of South Carolina, this county, and of my precinct.
I further swear (or affirm) that I am a member of the
_________ political party. I further swear (or affirm) that
the present residence address listed hereinin this application is my sole legal place of residence
and that I claim no other place as my legal residence."
AnyAn applicant convicted of
fraudulently applying for registration is guilty of perjury and
is subject to the penalty for that offense.
(3) Administration of
oaths.--AnyA member of the registration
board, deputy registrar, or anya
registration clerk must be qualified to administer oaths in
connection with the application.
(4) Decisions on
applications.--AnyA member of the
registration board, deputy registrar, or registration clerk may
pass on the qualifications of the prospective voter. In case of
a question of an applicant being refused registration, at least
one member of the board shall pass on the qualifications of the
voter. A concise statement of the reasons for the refusal must
be written on the application."

SECTION ____. Section
7-9-20 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 245 of 2010, is
further amended to read:

"Section 7-9-20.
"Section 7-9-20. (A)
The qualifications for membership in a
certified party and for voting at a party primary election
include the following:(1)
the applicant for membership, or voter, must be at
least eighteen years of age or become so before the succeeding
general election,; and(2)
must be a registered elector,and a citizen of the United States, and
of this State.; and(3)has registered as a member of the certified
party.(B) A person may
not belong to a party club or vote in a primary unless he
is a registered elector and a member of that party. The
state convention of anya political
party, organization, or association in this State may add by
party rules to the qualifications for membership in the party,
organization, or association and for voting at the primary
elections if the qualifications do not conflict with the
provisions of this section or with the Constitution and laws of
this State or of the United States.(C)The
entity charged by law with conducting a primary shall allow an
elector to change his political party affiliation by executing
an affidavit not later than thirty days before the primary.
During that time, an elector may execute an affidavit declaring
that he desires not to be affiliated with a political party.
The affiliation with a political party or as a nonpartisan is
valid until changed by the qualified elector pursuant to the
provisions of this section.(D)When
a qualified elector presents himself at a polling place to vote
in a primary election, the entity charged by law with conducting
the election or its representative shall require the qualified
elector to sign an affidavit affirming that he is a member of
the party conducting the primary. If the qualified elector does
not sign this affidavit, he is declared to be nonpartisan and he
may not vote in a partisan primary election."

SECTION ____.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this act, in all
primaries conducted before June 2014, an elector is permitted to
vote if he has not signed the affidavit required by this act.
After May 31, 2014, all political party primaries must be
conducted pursuant to the provisions of this act.